The present disclosure generally relates to optical connector assemblies and optical cable assemblies and, more particularly, to optical connector assemblies and optical cable assemblies providing supplemental input voltages for transmission of electrical power over an electrical conductor of a cable.
Benefits of optical fiber include extremely wide bandwidth and low noise operation. Because of these advantages, optical fiber is increasingly being used for a variety of applications, including, but not limited to, broadband voice, video, and data transmission. Active optical cables have electrical connectors that communicate data by optical data signals over one or more optical fibers. Particularly, each connector of the active optical cable includes an active optical circuit that converts the electrical data signals present at the connector into optical data signals for transmission over the one or more optical fibers. The connector at the opposite, distal end of the optical cable receives the optical data signals and another active optical circuit converts the optical data signals back into electric data signals for receipt by a connected electronic device.
It may be desirable for the active optical cable to also provide electric power over its length to a connected electronic device. For example, the active optical cable may be configured as a universal serial bus (USB) cable that provides electrical power provided by one electrical device (e.g., a master device) to another electrical device (e.g., a slave device) over one or more electrical conductors within the cable. However, due to ohmic losses in the one or more electrical conductors, the length of the cable is limited. The greater the length of the cable, the greater the voltage drop from one end of the cable to the other. Additionally, the active optical circuits in both ends of the active optical cable draw power from the input voltage of the master device. The voltage drop due to the ohmic losses in the one or more electrical conductors, as well as the power draw of the active optical circuits, may cause the electrical power at the distal end of the optical cable to be outside of specifications. Thus, the optical cable may be incapable providing enough power to the distally connected electrical device.